Managing the molecule: an update on 2005

Jul-2002

An overall look at the opportunities for gas-to-liquids projects in Europe as tighter gasoline and diesel specifications loom

Identifying very small 
equipment leaks

Jan-2008

Very small leaks in feed/effluent exchangers can be identified using chemical tracing. This online technique can detect leaks as low as 5.0 ppm, avoiding ...

Fired heaters for dummies

Apr-2022

Did you know that ancient algae impact our lives to this day? Read on to learn how decomposed carbon-based life becomes petroleum products with the help ...

Revamping the sulphur plant

Jul-2020

Expanding the capacity of sulphur recovery and tail gas units requires a thorough review of all plant systems.

The potential to reduce CO2 emissions in fired heaters is unlimited if 100% hydrogen fuel is utilised

Jul-2023

Using hydrogen in fuel to eliminate CO2 emissions in fired heaters.

Best practices in boiler replacement (TIA)

Nov-2018

When you are processing 100 000 barrels or more of crude in a day, reliability is of the utmost importance. There is no justification for unscheduled shutdowns ...

Furnace cleaning by robots

Dec-2020

Remotely cleaning furnace tubes slashed the cost of hydrogen production for a refiner.

Ceramic coating application in a refinery steam methane reformer furnace

Jun-2022

Increase an SMR’s thermal efficiency by applying a high emissivity ceramic coating on the furnace box walls.

Restoring fired heater furnace heat transfer efficiency

Nov-2023

Convection section cleaning of process heaters at an Egyptian facility achieved more than 90% treating of all tube and surface areas. Inefficient heat ...

Best practices for refinery boilers field service

Dec-2023

Those servicing refinery boilers often face tight deadlines, limited outage windows, and space constraints. Industrial boilers are generally custom pieces ...

Turnaround at a crude unit

Jan-2022

Improvements in performance and energy efficiency were achieved during the turnaround of a crude distillation unit.

Reducing CO2 and NOx while Increasing efficiency from fired heaters without selective catalytic reduction

May-2022

Fired heaters, also called furnaces, use the heat from combustion of hydrocarbons to increase the temperature of a fluid. Direct-fired heaters are common ...

Introducing hydrogen into refinery boilers, turbines, and HRSGs (TIA)

Feb-2023

Refineries and petrochemical facilities are under environmental pressure on all fronts. They are being asked to reduce their carbon footprints and aim ...

Use of tube inserts in fired heaters

May-2022

In 1896 Whitham reported the successful use of twisted tapes (originally called retarders, and now also called turbulators) to increase heat transfer in ...

Run length improvement and emissions reduction in delayed coker heaters

May-2023

For many refineries, the delayed coker unit is a vital component of refinery profitability. The tubes used in delayed coker units foul and must be decoked ...

An introduction to fouling in fired heaters: part 1

Apr-2022

Fouling is the accumulation and formation of unwanted materials on the surfaces of processing equipment.

The keys to successfully revamping a fired heater: how to maximise value

May-2022

Fired heaters are facing scrutiny because they contribute to the global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). For refineries and ...

Using future rows capacity to debottleneck fired heaters

Jun-2022

Opportunistic usage of the future row provision can lead to a multitude of benefits, provided the refiner knows what they are looking for during the r ...

Custom boilers meet capacity, emissions challenges (TIA)

Nov-2019

Many refinery complexes in Texas are ageing. It is not uncommon to find boilers that are 50 or more years old. As a result, these facilities can be liable ...

Digital platform for intelligent operation of fired heaters

Apr-2023

An innovative web-based tool that optimises fired heater operation and reduces carbon footprint while doing so.

When replacement in-kind gives performance that isn’t: a vibration case study

Dec-2020

This story starts with a familiar scenario for a fluidised catalytic cracking unit (FCCU); a 30 year old waste heat boiler (WHB) had become a maintenance ...

Heater experts solve common problems with IR thermography

Dec-2020

Many owner operators in the oil/gas and petrochemical industry know infrared (IR) thermography is a pillar of any robust inspection program. At Becht Fired ...

An introduction to fouling in fired heaters — Part 2: exterior fouling

Apr-2022

An important fouling mechanism on the fireside is corrosion fouling, especially for oil fired equipment.

Fired equipment TAR reviews

Apr-2021

Fired equipment is a critical part of most refinery process units. Operating at high temperatures and potentially high pressures make these equipment items ...

Don’t let furnace emissions derail your expansion project

Nov-2021

Predicting emissions prior to actual furnace design is not just a mathematical calculation

Introducing hydrogen into refinery boilers, turbines, and HRSGs (TIA)

Feb-2023

Refineries and petrochemical facilities are under environmental pressure on all fronts. They are being asked to reduce their carbon footprints and aim ...

Revamping the sulphur plant

Jul-2020

Expanding the capacity of sulphur recovery and tail gas units requires a thorough review of all plant systems.

Digital platform for intelligent operation of fired heaters

Apr-2023

An innovative web-based tool that optimises fired heater operation and reduces carbon footprint while doing so.

Why vacuum unit fired heaters coke

Oct-2004

A description of the internal workings of vacuum heaters and the causes of coke formation within them

Fired capital equipment: key plant components

Oct-2015

Fired capital equipment is an often neglected asset associated with 
plant operations. The global petrochemical and refining industries remain volatile ...

Reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in fired heaters

Feb-2023

A global inventory of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions recently published by One Earth suggests that global cumulative emissions could be reduced by up ...

Role of fired heater safety systems

Jul-2013

A fully automated burner management system operating as a SIS for burner control can meet minimum safety targets, improve system availability and lower ...

Fired heaters for dummies

Apr-2022

Did you know that ancient algae impact our lives to this day? Read on to learn how decomposed carbon-based life becomes petroleum products with the help ...

Solving a tube failure problem due to flow stratification using the Xtend tube-insert

Apr-2024

A vacuum heater located at a major oil refinery experienced tube failures at the top of the radiant section, and inspection showed a substantial layer ...

Column preheat improvement to debottleneck furnace operation

Apr-2012

Simulation helped to identify and mitigate the root cause of a furnace bottleneck to maximise the removal of light ends in the feed to a preflash colu ...

Practical flare gas recovery for minimising flaring

Apr-2015

Flares play a critical role as a safety device in refineries, and in most oil and gas producing or processing facilities.

Selecting the “Best” fired heater

Jun-2013

Fired heaters are extensively used in the chemical process industry to heat process fluids and generate steam. Typically, fired heaters consume the largest ...

A confounding problem: Vibration issues in boilers and furnaces

Feb-2023

There’s a whole lot of shaking going on – but why? Identifying industry trends that have contributed to this issue and what can increase the likelihood ...

Useful tips for fired heater optimisation

Apr-2012

Model predictive control that is native to the regulatory control processor provides high-speed, redundant and robust control for process fired heater ...

Revamping atmospheric crude heaters

Sep-2007

Revamp of an atmospheric crude unit heater suffering from coking caused by asphaltene precipitation resulted in an increased heater run length

Visbreaker optimisation: 
a step change

Apr-2009

Optimising visbreakers is not just a matter of monitoring and adding chemicals. Opportunity crudes demand a more integrated approach

Raising boiler efficiency (TIA)

Apr-2015

When you are processing 100000 b/d or more of crude, reliability is of the utmost importance. There is no justification for unscheduled shutdowns due to ...

Efficiency factors in natural gas fired steam boilers

Jul-2020

A study to obtain maximum operating efficiency from a set of refinery steam boilers.

Ten easy hacks for heater and combustion engineers

Feb-2023

It’s not possible to run heater simulations out in the field. Here we highlight rules, formulas and easy hacks to help fired heater engineers in their ...

Troubleshooting vacuum unit revamps

Jul-1998

While vacuum unit revamps increase gasoil yield, management is pushing the intervals between turnarounds to four or five years

Avoiding unscheduled shutdowns

Apr-2001

Case studies have demonstrated that correct heater design and consequent performance will determine crude unit run length

Energy management: raising profitability, reducing CO2 emissions

Oct-2010

Case studies show how lower energy demand via revamps and improved maintenance can save money and abate CO2 emissions in refinery operations

How refineries are saving time and money protecting assets

Feb-2023

The oil and gas industry is seeing a rise in demand and is taking vital steps to avoid disruption in production by preventing corrosion in process vessels, ...

Structured catalyst for steam reforming

Sep-2018

A catalyst system for steam methane reforming for improved heat transfer, pressure drop and catalyst effectiveness.

Reducing refinery heater revamp costs

Oct-2005

This article discusses the importance of being able to deliver a safe, cost-effective heater revamp, in the shortest possible shutdown